


Tales of Enchantment

by minervamouze



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Halloween, Holidays, No Proof Reading we die like Men, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-16 08:27:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12339075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minervamouze/pseuds/minervamouze
Summary: Holiday inspired one-shots!! For my boys from my series No, That's Not How it Works. Spend the holidays with your boy of choice in this AU version of my already semi-AU story.





	1. A Bone-Chilling Halloween [AXEL]

"What are we doing for Halloween?!" you question excitedly, slamming yourself down on the bench at your regular lunch table. The fall crisp was in the air and it showed- everyone you sat near was bundled up in sweaters, long sleeve shirts, or hoodies. Orange and black decorations plastered the halls of your school with the occasional witch hat placed on the teacher's heads. Living on an island, you didn't have many leaves to change colors, but something about seeing a palm frond sway in the breeze while it was chilly screamed fall to your people.

  
You looked around at your group of friends, Selphie to your left, Yuffie to your right, and Sora, Kairi, and Riku in front of you. No one was jumping out with suggestions, no matter how long you waited. Finally, Selphie sighed, putting her head in her hands. "I have to babysit!'' she whined. When you gasped and placed a hand over your heart, she turned to you with a pout. "My parents signed me up to spend the night with my dad's boss's kids while they go out," she explained further. Your face fell, completely crushed. For the last few years, it had been a tradition that you and she would spend the night carving pumpkins and trick or treating, even if you were way past the age of it being socially acceptable.

  
"That sucks, Selph. I'm sorry." Your voice sounded miserable, even to you. The both of you sighed again in unison before looking to your right. "What about you, Yuffie?"

  
"Never celebrated," she shrugged, rolling a grape casually between her fingers. She tossed it to the sky and caught it in her mouth effortlessly before continuing. "I'm taking the long weekend and going back home." You nodded. Not celebrating Halloween seemed insane to you, but whatever. It was a big deal on the island- so much so that they gave you the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday off for it. But here you were on Friday, with no plans! Desperately, you turned to the other side of the table.

  
Kairi sheepishly took Sora's hand and squeezed it. "We always go somewhere special, just the two of us," she explained. Your soul was crushing with every word.

  
"I'm sorry, (y/n)! Why don't you and Riku hang out?" You turned to Riku, your last hope shining.

  
"Sorry, I can't. I'm working an odd job for some extra munny." You let out the world's longest groan, sliding down your seat until you were on the ground between the bench and table, your eyes barely poking out over.

  
"You. Are all. The worst," you complained, coming to grips with the fact that you would have nothing to do this Halloween. Your friends all look at you, different levels of pity displayed on their faces.

  
\---

  
You're walking home from the grocery store. Well, walking isn't the right word. Stomping better describes it. Your favorite holiday was looming in the air, and the only thing you had on the bracket that night was passing out the candy you'd just purchased. You couldn't even bring yourself to be festive enough to put on your witch socks yet. The sun still hung in the sky, but you knew that in a couple hours, trick-or-treaters would roam the island. A sudden flash of darkness appeared beside you, but you just kept walking at the same pace, not even slowing to greet whoever it may be.

  
"Well hello to you too, sunshine." You could hear Axel's voice behind you, but your mood was so sour you truly did not even care.

  
"Not in the mood," you warned. Axel reappeared once more, this time directly beside you. He kept pace with you easily, much to your annoyance. His hands were placed behind his head as he strolled.

  
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to ruin your liver like everyone else your age?" he questioned, clearly paying no attention to your foul disposition.

  
"I could've sworn I said I'm not in the mood!" you snapped, pulling your jacket tighter around your body. It was freezing out today for some unknown reason. Being reminded of your lack of plans wasn't any form of fun and you were ready to just go to bed. Your mom worked at the hospital every year to take care of stupid teenagers. Axel let out a low whistle, his eyebrows raising. You stopped in your tracks, pinching the bridge of your nose. "I don't drink on Halloween. My mom has to pump at least ten kid's stomachs a year. I could ever do that to her," you explained. Axel stopped as well, crossing his arms as he stood in front of you.

  
"No plans?"

  
"Don't rub it in if you do, okay? Halloween is my favorite holiday." The anger overtaking your body was fading away and now you were just seriously bummed out.

  
"Us nobodies aren't exactly known for our wild parties," he sighed overdramatically. You found it very hard to believe that Axel had nothing better to do than to bother you right now.

  
"Working?" you question, walking again. Axel shrugged, following beside you. "I'm sorry you're stuck with me," you add.

  
"You should be if you're gonna be this grouchy all night," he teased, shaking his head. You rolled your eyes, elbowing his side.

  
"Jerk." Laughter sounded beside you, melting your frozen Halloween-loving-heart.

  
\---

  
The candy clanked into the bowl loudly, filling the room with the smell of sugar even through the wrappers. Axel's nose wrinkled as the both of you stared at the now-full bowl. "Rousing night," Axel comments. You let out a groan, running your hand over your face. At least you weren't alone.

  
"I'm open to different ideas," you offer, wanting to be here even less than the redhead. Suddenly, his expression perked up. "Nothing illegal," you added quickly once you saw the look on his face.

  
"Oh, ye of little faith." His eyes rolled as his head shook. "Got a costume?" Your eyes now narrowed, wondering where he was going with this.

  
"...Why?"

  
"Go put it on, we'll reconvene in ten."

  
"Why?" you repeated more forcefully this time.

  
"Because I've got an amazing idea. Now get out of here before I strip in front of you." his hand started pulling his zipper down for good measure. You shielded your eyes, turning around and running upstairs. You heard laughter behind you, sighing at the sweet sound. You might end up in a jail cell, but at least it would be fun.

  
Once you had your costume on, you did a once over in the mirror. It was from last year, but it did the job. A small witch's hat was bobby pinned to your hair firmly to make sure no gusts of wind blew it off, your makeup had already been applied, but you'd added a batwing eyeliner and a spooky black lip, your vampire fangs were slid into place, a green amulet was in its place on a choker that clung to your neck, and your body was draped in a witch's dress that had a corset on top, and a torn-tulle bottom. Ankle booties over your green and black striped knee-high socks completed your outfit. You were a vampire-witch cross breed- and nothing if not original.

  
You finally marched back downstairs, looking around for Axel. You called out for him before hearing movement in the kitchen. The fridge door was open with someone rustling behind it. You grimaced, walking forward and holding a hand out. "Did you have me get all dressed up just to eat all my food? Because I'm not playing that ga-hoooooomygod helloooo nurse!" you'd shoved the door closed halfway through your scolding and been knocked a little breathless, to say the least, at the sight before you.

  
Axel was standing there, his brilliant seafoam eyes shining, contrasted by the darkness of his outfit. He still wore nearly all black- but in a completely different fashion. His tight jeans were ripped in various places and hung low on his hips, complimented by a black tank top with a band logo on front. A denim jacket was over his shoulders, decorated with patches and spikes. To complement the look, a red bandana was tied to his belt loop. You coughed a few times after having swallowed your own spit.

  
Axel was smirking, deciding to lean against your fridge. "You don't look half bad yourself," he complimented, giving you a once over very slowly. Your cheeks were flushed at this point, and it was all you could do to play it off.

  
"You're a punk," you pointed out, pointing to his outfit. "How fitting."

  
"And you're a witch. Seems to fit the attitude you gave me earlier."

  
"Shut up," you shot back, sticking out your tongue. Axel grabbed your jaw, making you pull back. With his thumb on your lip, he pulled your mouth open. Your heart raced a mile a minute until he pulled back completely, dropping your jaw.

  
"You're wearing fangs?" He laughed loudly, and you couldn't even think of a response, seeing as you were still trying to calm yourself down. Behind you, you heard a portal being called and you whipped around, fear in your eyes.

  
"Nooo, I hate those!"

  
"You big baby, you'll be fine."

  
"Where are we going?!" you questioned again. Axel just grabbed your shoulders and walked behind you, pushing you into the portal. You closed your eyes and braced yourself for the feeling of complete coldness taking over...but it never came. As you stepped forward through the hallway of darkness, you felt strangely...warm. Your eyes opened and you looked up at Axel, who had a reddish glow around him. He looked down at you, a 'hm?' falling from his lips, and you hurriedly looked away.

  
Once you walked through the other side of the hallway, a well lit but still dark world appeared before you, with people in costumes everywhere. "Where are we?" you asked, looking up to Axel. He pulled his hands away and any sense of warmth you had felt faded away completely. It felt impossibly cold without him touching you, now. He pointed in front of you, showing all the shops.

  
"We're at a place called Disneyland. They do a great big Halloween Pary every year. There's rides, trick or treating, a parade, and lots of shops." Your spirits soared into the sky, your mouth dropping open in a surprised grin.

  
"Axel, seriously?" he nodded, unable to keep the grin off his face from seeing you so elated. You could genuinely jump for joy at this moment, so you did. You jumped right into Axel's arms, throwing your own around his neck and squeezing tight. "You are the best ever!!!" Any Halloween plans you could have possibly had would PALE in comparison to this! You pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving behind a black lip print and adding to his aesthetic before pulling him into the crowd of people.

  
The both of you went on a ride called The Haunted Mansion first to get in the spirits, but soon worked your way around all the rides you could manage. To be truthful, none of this was Axel's cup of tea, but he kept a small smile on his face the whole night, seeing how he had so easily made your night. He held your bag dutifully while you hit up every trick-or-treat station, and even posed with you in various dumb pictures.

  
Some time throughout the night, he ended up enjoying himself, as well. He had nearly forgotten about his duties, his job, and who he was in general. All that mattered was that he was having a good time with you. He ended up dragging you back onto Pirates of the Caribbean two more times and even wore a mouse-ear hat you had bought for him. Not on his head, of course, but around his neck, resting on the back of his hair so as not to mess up his spikes. You both were complimented on your costumes; Axel's grip on your hand tightened any time a guy made the compliments, however.

  
When it came time for the closing parade, he'd managed to annoy anyone in a near vicinity and get you both front row seats. You laughed as you sat with your knees up, shivering as the wind hit. Axel hesitated for a moment, but ended up wrapping his arm around your shoulders to keep you warm. Your heart skipped a beat before pounding relentlessly, but you leaned into him regardless, enjoying the warmth.

  
\---

  
The two of you sat at your house, a blanket around the both of you, with Axel's arms around your shoulders once more. A black-and-white horror movie played on the tv in front of you, but you just relived the memories you'd made tonight. You were so warm and comfortable that you could fall asleep right there. You snuggled more into his touch. "Thank you for making this the best Halloween ever," you spoke, softly.

  
Axel's head turned, looking down at the top of your own. He had the strangest desire to place a kiss at the crown of your hair, but fought against it. "Ditto," he spoke, not willing to add any more. You shifted your head, making eye contact with him. Slowly, your heads began to drift towards each other until your eyes fluttered shut.

  
The sound of a key turning in a lock penetrated the room and half a second later you were falling flat on your face on your couch. You let out an 'oof' before pushing yourself up. He was gone, and you were freeing. The blanket seemed too big now.

  
"(y/n), weren't you supposed to give this candy out?" your mom asked, rounding the corner with the bowl in hand. You sighed, doing your best to look like a bummed out teenager who had just missed out on the best party of the year.

  
"We only got like two trick-or-treaters," you lied smoothly. Your mom frowned, walking past and ruffling your hair.

  
"I'm sorry, lovebug. You would not BELIEVE how many stomachs I had to pump tonight!" You grinned to yourself. Things were back to normal, but you'd never forget.


	2. Bump in the Night [RIKU]

"You know," you got out, letting out a big puff of air as you hiked your way up on top of another rock. You were clutching your knees, glaring at the person who stood in front of you. "I don't know HOW I let you talk me into doing this." Your lungs were burning, your anxiety levels were high, and it was colder than a freezer outside. It was dark outside, the area only lit by stars and the street lights of anyone trick-or-treating in a nearby vicinity. Ahead of you was your physically fit friend, Riku. He was stood with one foot on the rock in front of him, shaking his head as he turned his body slightly to look at you.

  
"I know exactly how," he reminded you, smirking. He stepped back towards you and held out his hand for you to take. You begrudgingly did so, knowing damn well how he managed to convince you, after all. "Or did we forget?" he questioned in a mocking voice. Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to you in vivid clarity.

  
\---

  
"I'll bet you anything that you can't finish that course!" You laughed, sitting next to Sora and Kairi, soda can in hand. The course in front of you was difficult, a training system put together by the King's army. It was exceedingly difficult just looking at it, not to mention doing it. You three had all finished...or rather, given up, about halfway through. It involved lots of jumping, fighting, dodging, and, to finish it all off, had a thirty-foot straight wall at the end to climb over.

  
The three of you had been kicked off all around the same point for being unable to dodge an enemy, but Riku had been playing the whole thing off like he was invincible. It had really gotten on your nerves when he said he could pass the course easily when you'd just fallen on your ass not thirty seconds earlier. But now that he was up to bat, he looked a little bit more nervous, However, at your proposal, his head shifted in your direction. "Anything, huh?"

  
"Yep, cause you're not gonna finish it." You gave him a look of mock sympathy and shrugged before laughing with Sora and Kairi, resting your head on the latter's shoulder.   
"I'll hold you to it," he decided, walking over to the start of the course.

  
"He's so full of it," Sora mumbled, shaking his head and crossing his arms. You nodded in agreement as Riku took the stand and bolted off, easily maneuvering his way through the first part of the course. At this point, you sat up straight, ready to see him get whacked by the makeshift enemy. However, when it came time for it to swing down, Riku's keyblade hit it, slicing through with ease. Your mouth dropped as you watched him continue to jump through all obstacles like they weren't there to challenge him at all.  
You took solace knowing that he would never make the final jump, and would, therefore, never finish the course. Until, of course, you heard the little bastard shout "AIR!" and saw him rip through the sky like a bolt of lightning. "Oh, son of a-"

  
"FINISHED!" Riku was waving from his spot on top of the giant wall. You were furious. Not only had he actually done it after all his trash talk, but now you had to worry about what he wanted from you. God, you hoped it wasn't your protega ring. After a few minutes of waiting for him to make his way back, Riku finally stood in front of you. You, Sora, and Kairi had all been stunned into silence. "Anything, right (y/n)?"

  
You groaned outwardly, rubbing your forehead. "What do you want?" you asked as you looked up at him from where you sat. He only smirked, walking past you.  
"You'll find out soon enough."

  
\---

  
Fast forward a couple of weeks and you had all but forgotten about the bet you'd made, and Riku had never come to collect. You were sitting in English class early in the morning, writing absentmindedly in your notebook about the prompt of the day. "What are you doing for Halloween?" Halloween was sort of a big deal on your Islands. In fact, they were giving you a four day weekend just to prepare for the day of spooking. These prompts came up in every class at some point this week, and your answer was always somewhat depressing.

  
For some, "Nothing. Handing out candy." would be impossible to turn into a page long essay. However, for you, the Queen of Pulling Things out of Your Ass, it was child's play. You were finishing off your writing as the class started reading theirs aloud in condensed versions.

  
"And Riku, what will you be doing this Halloween?"

  
"Oh, (y/n), and I are going to go check out the old graveyard." You snorted behind him, shaking your pencil without looking up from your page.

  
"Oh, no. Maybe Riku is but (y/n) is not," you laughed to yourself, referring to yourself in the third person. It'd be a cold day in The Underworld when you decided to go to that haunted mess. You could see Riku shift around in his chair in your peripheral but thought nothing of it. There was literally no way he could convince you.

  
"But, (y/n), you bet me _anything_ , didn't you?" Your blood ran cold as your head shot up to meet his cool gaze, his lips pulled back into that same smirk.

  
"Oh fuck me," you whispered, knowing your goose was cooked.

  
"Ms. (y/l/n)! Language!"

  
\---

  
Which brings you back to now. Hiking up to the damn raised cemetery. The path had long since been dismantled, as no one had been buried here for nearly a century. The land had filled up and now even those who would come to visit their loved ones had also passed on, unable to take the journey themselves. Island legend said that angry spirits roamed over the ghostly hilltop now because they've been abandoned, unable to relax in their final resting place.

  
"I remember," you growled, yanking your hand back the second you hiked your way over the final boulder. There you both stood, overlooking the terrifying graveyard. Of course, a creepy fog sat over the gravesites.

  
"Alright," Riku stated, clapping his hands together and grinning. "Let's go." And with that, he was off, leaving you there in disbelief.

  
"Don't just walk on people's graves like that!" You exclaimed, worried he was gonna anger some lingering spirit or something. You muttered apologies to every headstone you saw, racing to catch up with the silver-haired boy.

  
"Oh, please, (y/n), ghosts aren't even real." Your eyebrows raised as your hand came down hard on his shoulder.

  
"THEN WHY ARE WE HERE?!"

  
"Shh." He placed a finger to his lip and continues walking through. Why did he even bring you here? You could very easily be at home, watching the Addam's Family and passing out the snicker bars you'd bought earlier in the week. He didn't seem to care if you were there at all, anyway. You were growing more frustrated as time went on, crossing your arms firmly under your chest. That was when something caught your eye. Just a shadow out the corner of your eye, but it was enough for you to turn.

  
You looked around for a few seconds but were unable to find anything as you gazed and shrugged it off. Then you saw it again. This time, it looked like a running figure. Like something dark was playing hide and go seek with you. Your blood ran a bit colder as you reached out for Riku's arm. Your fingers grazed his jacket sleeve but didn't quite make contact. "Hey, Rik...?" You were looking all around, trying to figure out what it was that you had seen. You didn't notice his hum of a reply as Riku looked around, his flashlight shining different headstones.

  
Whatever it was, it was playing with you. Every time you moved your head, it was back at the corner of your vision. Moving so quickly you could never catch it head on. "Riku..." you spoke, a little louder this time, a note of panic in your voice. A note Riku didn't catch onto.

  
"Hold on, I think I'm getting close." Was there more than one? Had you pissed off some spirit? Was it a heartless? Your heart was pounding. Then your frantic eyes locked onto a subject, in a clearing between two trees. "Riku..." Your hand was searching for your friend, wanting his support and comfort.

  
"Aha! There it is!" His flashlight shone upon its target, the most ornate headstone there. "They say this guy haunts the graveyard, angry because his beloved chose another. People who come up here say they find scra-"

  
"RIKU!" You called, desperation flooding your voice. The air around you dropped twenty degrees at least, chilling you to the bone. What's worse, the creature had opened its eyes. Blood red glowing orbs stared directly into your own. Even worse- they were getting closer. You were paralyzed with fear. Riku finally turned, annoyed by your lack of enthusiasm. That's when he saw it. His eyes flew open, his skin paling as he watched the creature break out into a run.

  
"Let's go," he whispered, beginning to pull away from the spot, but was held in place by your firm grip. The creature was getting closer. "Come on, (y/n)! This is no time to freak out!" But you couldn't help it. You were locked in place. Looking between you and the creature, Riku dashed into you, sweeping you up in his arms as he began to run back to the way you'd entered the graveyard, acting as if you weighed no more than a feather. Once he got to the rocks, he cursed loudly, looking behind him.

  
There was no sign of the creature, but that didn't mean anything. He put you down on your feet and grabbed your face, holding it tight between his hands. "Hey, (y/n)! Wake up!" Nothing he was saying worked. You were blinking, sure, but that was his only sign you were even still alive. He looked back over the cemetery, then back to you, and decided to do the only thing he knew might help even a little. He slammed his lips to yours in a rough and rushed way, moving them against your mouth for only a second before pulling away. "(Y/n)!" You blinked a few times before blushing fiercely, your hand flying to your mouth.

  
"Riku..."

  
"Not now, let's go before that thing gets here!" He jumped down a step, holding his hand out to you to help you down. You took it happily this time, speed running and jumping down the course.

  
"I told you this was stupid!" You argued as your feet finally hit level ground.

  
"Shut up!" He spoke, exasperated, as your feet pounded against the pavement, running back to the safest and closest location: your house. Once you were both safely behind the locked door, you slammed yourself down onto the couch, panting. Adrenaline must have taken over, or your training must have come into effect because there was no way you could have run that much.

  
"What. The. BITCH!" you apt out between pants, glaring at Riku. He was grasping his knees, bent over and gasping along with you.

  
"Shut. Up," he repeated, not bothering to look up. Once you had both calmed down a reasonable amount, you wandered into the kitchen and poured two very large cups of water. You both gulped them down in an instant, and you were pouring the second glass when you finally spoke.

  
"What the hell was that thing?!"

  
"I have no idea," Riku admitted, shaking his head as he took another large sip. You followed suit, leaning against the counter heavily. Your limbs were weak from all that physical activity. Riku took sight of you and frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, (y/n). I shouldn't have made you go there with me."

  
"You think?" you snapped, walking past him to return to the spot on your couch. Riku followed you back into the living room, looking absolutely miserable. You sighed, your warm heart getting to you. "I'm glad I was there. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't seen that thing and warned you." You pat the spot next to you on the sofa, which Riku happily took.

  
"Yeah," he agreed, refusing to go much further than that. Now that the adrenaline was passing, one thing was on your mind; Riku had kissed you. Sure, it was to shock you back to your senses, and, sure, it had definitely worked. But that didn't change the fact that his lips had been pressed to yours no less than an hour ago. The air was tense. You couldn't stand it.

  
"Do you want to watch a scary movie?" you asked lamely. Riku looked over to you, giving you a small smile before shaking his head.

  
"No, I should probably get going home. I just wanted to make sure you were safe before I left." A small blush tinted your cheeks as you grinned, looking away.

  
"You didn't have to do that."

  
"Of course I did." He stood up and stretched. Once you noticed, you rose as well.

  
"I'll walk you to the door." He nodded, heading over with you. You opened the door and he exited, turning around on the other side of the doorstep to say goodbye. You cleared your throat awkwardly and opened your mouth to do so, but were cut off by Riku's hand wrapping around the back of your head, the other pulling you closer by your hip. His lips were on yours again, but this time they stayed there long enough for you to react. Your lips melded together for a few moments, your hands coming up to grip his shirt. He broke away first, to your displeasure.

  
The blush on your cheeks was stronger at this point, almost coating your whole face. You stepped back inside your home, avoiding eye contact. You were torn between running inside and running back into his arms, so you decided for another lame excuse. "Alright, well see you in English!" And the door closed. You deadbolted it and squealed behind it, embarrassed beyond your furthest belief. But not as embarrassed as you would be when you read the headline in the paper tomorrow.

  
"Two Teens in Costume Terrorize Local Cemetery."


	3. Here for the Boos [VANITAS]

Your eyes were locked on your target, your weapon held proudly. Your prey hadn't noticed you yet, luckily enough. Your voice rang clear and true as you spoke. "Would you do anything for me?" Your victim rose his head, black spikes pointing in every direction. He looked surprised for the briefest of moments before rolling his eyes, leaning back with his arms crossed.

  
"What are you supposed to be?" he asked boredly, giving you a once over.

  
"Would you die for me?" you continued on, unphased by his unpleasant response. He gave a laugh, shaking his head.

  
"Absolutely not." At least he was amused. Your lips curled up into a sickening smirk.

  
"Promise?" And with that last word you launched your weapon at Vanitas.

  
"Oh, what the fuck!" he shouted, bracing his arms in front of his face just quick enough to avoid getting a nasty hit to the jaw. You'd found the "Electrifying Radio Prop"-which was truly a hunk of plastic shaped like a radio that played show tunes and made lightning noises-and immediately knew which iconic scene you'd needed to recreate.   
You covered your mouth with your eyes wide, biting back, or, rather, trying to bite back a snort, and utterly failing. Before you knew it you were all but sobbing tears of laughter at your bad trajectory. Vanitas did not look thrilled. He stood in the middle of the Pop Culture section of your local Halloween store, cheap prop in hand as he gave you an amused-but-very-annoyed look. "What are you supposed to be?" he repeated, the same air of not caring if you responded or not still tinting his voice.

  
"I'm Debbie from Addam's Family Values," you informed him, rolling your eyes. "Uncultured swine," you mumbled to yourself, pulling the short blonde wig from your head. Truly, you'd worked for a solid two minutes to put together a costume and he couldn't even tell who you were?

  
"Oh, right."

  
"You've seen it?"

  
"No, but it sounds like the type of stupid shit you'd like," he commented, tossing the prop back to you before going back to looking at the modern costumes. Your mouth dropped and a squeak of offense escaped from you, but before you could protest, Vanitas was already complaining about something else. "I don't understand. People dress up as a joke on the internet or a character from a tv show? That's fucking ridiculous."

  
"You know, 'Nitas, I don't think I've ever met a bigger ray of sunshine than you," you sighed, placing the radio on a shelf before grimacing at the Pop Culture section yourself. It didn't look too great. "Oh, wait, you could go as the raining Snapchat filter," you laughed, pointing to one of the costumes up higher. Vanitas looked up blankly for a few seconds before blinking and turning around and walking away.

  
"I'm leaving."

  
"Wait - !" You hurried and followed after him, running a few steps to catch up. "Where are you going?"

  
"Not here." Sometimes you wondered to yourself why you didn't kill him when you had the chance. You were far too deep into a somewhat-friendship to kill him with no remorse now, but boy, oh boy, did he make it appealing some days. You said goodbye to the shop owners (you were a longtime customer and in there nearly three times a week whenever they opened) before following after Vanitas's retreating figure, not caring if you're with him or not.

  
"What's your issue?" you ask, a little annoyed as you finally catch up to him. You zip up your jacket as you walk beside him, shoving your hands in your pockets. He looks over to you, his expressionless features not even shocking you anymore.

  
"Not all of us enjoy public humiliation. If that's your kink, whatever, but I don't get off on it." Your cheeks flushed as you stammered for a second, earning a smirk as Vanitas stared straight ahead again.

  
"You know damn well that this isn't a fetish thing, you old ass pervert," you shot, getting little more than a chuckle from your traveling companion. You had to admit, he was being a decent sport. You'd made him change from his normal getup into something less attention drawing. In this case, a black baseball tee paired with black jeans. (You'd thought the outfit spoke to his soul quite loudly) Dragging him around on your errands was the epitome of the best day to you, but he clearly didn't feel the same. He trekked along with you because you'd requested it but it was obvious he was wishing he hadn't.

  
Deciding to let him off the hook for the day, you fell into step with Vanitas, letting him lead the way. "Are you gonna dress up and come visit me on Halloween?" you asked, teasing completely. You knew you couldn't convince him to get into a costume to save your life.

  
"Yep," he answered simply, not even bothering to look over at you as he responded. You choked on your own spit, not expecting the answer.

  
"Wait, what? Seriously?" He shrugged, looking over at you finally only to roll his eyes at the excited way you were carrying yourself.

  
"Don't get too excited. You weren't my first choice, believe me." You stuck your lip out for a second, pouting a bit before wiping it from your face and returning to your eager state.

  
"BUT, I was definitely still a choice!" you deduce, looking ahead proudly as Vanitas's eyes do another grand circuit. This was friendship with him. You'd learned early on that you had to look past the bite to see the true intention of his words. You spent many a battle being offended by his harsh words, and now that you'd worked past that? You could read him better than anyone else. Thank God he wanted to kill you so bad or else you might not ever get to know him.

  
\---

  
"Alright, I'm gonna get going," you tell your mom, sitting with her on her break at work. You had just finished off a lollipop and she looked like she'd already been to hell and back. Well, granted, so did you, but yours was intentional. Your glam vampire look came complete with a corset, black bat wings, a black wig, and glittery blood dripped from your lips which hid the fangs inside. Her vampire look came from having to suture too many people who had tried to cut through latex and ended up cutting themselves.   
"Alright, sweetie. Have fun and be safe," she scolded, grabbing your hand and looking you in the eye. You rolled your own and nodded for her amusement.

  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. No drinking, smoking, don't eat candy from strangers. Been hearing it since I was ten." You stood and kissed her forehead, following up by rubbing off the black lipstick. "It's just Selphie's party, I'll be fine," you assured before bidding her adieu and leaving the hospital. You'd come to visit her to show off your costume and to share your favorite holiday with her. It sucked that she was always working, but she loved her job and you got free lollipops every time you visited.

  
You headed down the road that led to your best friend's house, complimenting children's costumes as you went. You had a huge grin on your face as you went. This was the time you thrived; when you came alive. You closed your eyes and were breathing in the smell of fall when something shouted at you from beside you. You gave out a yell and cowered to one side, eyes widening frantically to look at your assaulter. "Asshole!" you yelled, smacking a cackling Vanitas with the hand that wasn't clutching your keyblade now.

  
He was bent over, a hand clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Oh, man, I didn't think you'd be so fucking easy to terrify," he finally said, standing up straight. You glared daggers at him through his mask. He wore his full getup down to the boots, the only thing excluded being his keyblade. You let yours disappear in your hand before grumbling and looking him over. You motioned to him with one hand in exasperation.

  
"This isn't a costume! What are you supposed to be?" you sigh, your hand dropping. With one hand, Vanitas reached up and pulls the mask from his face, showing you his wide smile and wide golden eyes.

  
"Terrifying," he answers simply, humor in his voice. You have to swallow before responding, caught off guard by how attractive this asshole was.  
"We'll tell people you're Daft Punk," you grumble, turning and walking down the street again, Vanitas following as he locks his mask back into place.

  
\---

  
"Oh, (y/n)! You brought...a friend!" Selphie exclaims as she opens the door after you ring the bell. You smile awkwardly before pulling her into a hug.

  
"Yeah, super last minute, I know. But he showed up and I couldn't say no, I'm sorry," you apologize, stepping inside and into the crowd.

  
"No, it's fine!" Selphie assures, shaking her head. She was wearing zombie makeup and a school uniform that she'd utterly destroyed. She looked up to Vanitas and extended her hand for him to shake. "I'm Selphie, (y/n)'s one and only best friend." vanitas looked down to her hand and made no attempt to respond to her or touch her. You jumped in for him.

  
"His name is...he goes by 'Nitas. Long story," you explain. "And he's just visiting for the night, I've known him for years."

  
"Oh! Okay! Well, any friend of (y'n)'s is a friend of mine." Selphie paid no mind to the awkward way Vanitas carried himself and launched herself into a hug, to which Vanitas's arms remained locked at his sides. You sighed and reached forward, grabbing one and forcing him to pat her back before dropping it before she could notice. "Well, you know where everything is, make yourself at home like usual. Cool Daft Punk helmet!" And with that, she was gone. You looked toward the male before rolling your eyes and walking towards the kitchen.

  
"I fucking hate that name," you hear behind you. You look over your shoulder to see him following close behind you.

  
"Not my fault you have a weird ass name," you shrug.

  
"Right, like it's my fault, or like 'Selphie' isn't just as weird." You could all but hear his eyes rolling.

  
"Shut up," you shoot back lamely, earning a snort. You grab yourself a cup and fill it with whatever the red liquid in the bowl with body shaped ice cubes floating in it was and gave it a sniff to make sure it was nothing unsavory before finally bringing it to your lips and taking a sip. Once you had, you eye the cup warily, finally smirking as you note the lack of lipstick left behind. You knew you'd been right to buy the more expensive liquid lip.

  
"Did you want any?" you ask Vanitas, holding your black cup out to him. "Or are you gonna keep that on all night?" you continue, referring to his mask.

  
"Not really in the mood to have anyone ask if I'm related to the kid that stole my face," he responded quickly, causing you to nod in understanding. Luckily, Sora and Kairi were off doing their own thing and Riku had other plans. You may have gotten along with Vanitas now, but that didn't mean everyone did. It wasn't exactly a family reunion when everyone was forced in the same room so you tried to avoid it. Your face screwed up as you grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

  
"Sorry," you spoke simply. You saw his shoulders shrug only slightly, moving in a way to show you he didn't care. Truthfully, he felt more comfortable under the mask. Once you'd taken another sip of your drink you pulled him out into Selphie's backyard. Haloween activities sprawled as far as the eye could see. Her parents were pretty well off and her backyard opened up directly onto a private beach. She'd put out games, apples for bobbing, a pumpkin carving station, and even stacked hay bales for a maze.

  
You pulled Vanitas through a few of the novelties, giggling all the while as he followed behind you dutifully, not ever planning to admit he was having even the slightest sliver of a fraction of fun, even if it was buried deep down beneath a mask (figuratively and literally).

  
The time had gotten late and you were currently on a sugar rush from the candy you'd won because Halloween games are your strong point, alright? Bow to the queen! You'd managed to get Vanitas on the dance floor and were teaching him the Thriller (you were teaching, he was recording everything via his mask to tease you with relentlessly at a later date) when a guy dressed as a greaser wielding a cellphone started running by yelling.

  
"SNAPCHAT KISS CAM!" he was repeating, going up to random couples and having them kiss for the camera.

  
"What an idi-"

  
"KISS CAM!" And the camera was in your face, your hands still curled like a zombie.

  
"Uh..." you looked to Vanitas. The mask was blank and you couldn't see through the tinted glass, which truly wasn't fair.

  
"KISS CAM!" he repeated, zooming the view in on you. You looked for a way out but couldn't find one, finally groaning and standing on your tip toes to place a kiss on the black glass.

  
"Alright, go on, get," you motioned for the camera guy to leave, your cheeks blazing but unnoticeable underneath your heavy face paint.

  
"What was that supposed to be?" You heard Vanitas's annoyed tone. He reached up, pulling his mask off. Your eyebrows raised in surprise. So much for not wanting to be noticed.

  
"Hey, it's not my fault this ass is running around with a camera." Vanitas's eyes rolled, his trademark, thank you very much, before stepping closer to you. His hand went under your chin, tilting it upwards so you were at a better angle as his liquid gold eyes moved closer to yours, his lips eventually covering your painted ones. You were shocked beyond belief until his grip on your chin tightened.

  
As if on command, your lips started moving against his and you leaned into him, your leg all but popping up in the air.

  
"ALRIGHT!" The kiss cam guy finally gone, Vanitas broke the kiss, leaving you gasping for air as he smirked down at him. You looked up to him, a hand covering your heart as you felt it racing. You saw a trickle of your fake blood rolling from his lips and your heart skipped a beat completely before pounding harder than before t recompensate. You genuinely had to break your gaze to calm yourself down.

  
"What the hell was that?" you finally ask, catching your breath and repositioning your fangs.

  
"Right, like you didn't want me to," he teased, sounding bored with the situation.

  
You hesitated for a moment before looking back at him. It was a gaze that lasted about half a second because you immediately imagined his shit-eating smirk beneath the glass and you had to look away.

  
"Maybe just warn me next time," you mumble, crossing your arms. Your heart was calming down now.

  
"Oh-ho? Next time, huh?"

  
"I despise you," you spit immediately walking away from the boy. You new he was following close behind you, but you had bigger things to worry about- like how you were going to explain there being a video of you making out that was one of your best friends boyfriends clones in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi really quick please imagine with me Vanitas in that outfit cause MMM boy I love me some characters in clothes other than their assigned outfits


	4. My Only Wish This Year [DEMYX]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas time is upon us! Demyx gets to go first because he was skipped over for Halloween. Make yourself a mug of cocoa (with MILK, not water) and enjoy!

The dew had long since melted from the blades of grass decorating the front of your house but the sounds of palm fronds swinging in the bitter breeze flew in through your open windows, shaking the screen that protected the inside from outside invaders. You were bundled up in your favorite hoodie and fleece-lined leggings, your shoulders sharing a blanket with your best friend, Demyx, sitting beside you. You were huddled around your phone, tilted sideways as a compilation of Vines blasted from all speakers. You were both in stitches at twelve minutes thirty-six seconds into the video.

  
"Look at all those CHICKENS!" your voices rang in harmony, each friend's arm flailing out in sync with the video. You both took time to, frankly, lose your shit laughing before regrouping. You knew the next video well. You turned to Demyx, a completely serious look on your face as you blew at his cheek. What should be cold air on his cheek felt almost warm to the blonde nobody. His mouth dropped, giving you a serious glare to match the one adorning your own features.

  
"Adam!" he spoke incredulously, causing you to blow air from between your lips and breaking out into a worse laugh, kicking your feet around. This was your favorite way to spend a Sunday. Laughing at stupid six-second videos spread around the worlds for anyone to see. Ever since you'd made a reference (What the fuck is up, Kyle? No, what did you say? What the fuck dude? Step the fuck up, Kyle!) that Demyx didn't understand, you'd dragged him down a deep hole with you. He, of course, found every single one hilarious and was already quoting them back at headquarters. (Pro tip: screaming "WHAT ARE THOOOOOOSE?" at Saix without context is the best way to get yourself assigned to the scorching heat of Agrabah for no reason for a week.)

  
You were already chuckling at the next video when you quoted it to your friend. "Merry Chrysler!" you managed to spit out between laughs, only for Demyx to shoot you a look of confusion, his head tilting to the side.

  
"I don't get that one." This was fairly common with Demyx, not understanding certain references. You calmed down, sitting up straighter in the time it took to do so, pulling the blanket tighter around your frame.

  
"It's a play on Merry Christmas. She's pretending she doesn't know what that is," you explain, waiting for a laugh. You finally got one, causing you to smile yourself. Far too quickly, however, the bells of the most beautiful laughter you'd ever heard stopped, Demyx shaking his head, strands of blonde hair moving with him.

  
"Wait, no, I still don't get it."

  
"Really?" you ask, a little taken aback. "Merry Christmas?"

  
"Yeah, that part."

  
"Wait, what? Do you not know what Christmas is?"

  
"Never heard of it," Demyx shrugged, reaching for your phone again to continue with the video. You pulled the device away from his reach, firmly pressing the lock button, ceasing the sound playing from it. "Hey, what gives?"

  
"HOW have you never heard of Christmas?" you question, your hand over your chest.

  
"Sheesh, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I'm sorry?" Your head shook, only causing the sitar player more confusion.

  
"It's not something to be sorry about, Demyx! You've seriously never heard the tale of Santa Claus and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer? Old Saint Nick and how he gave presents? Leaving out cookies and milk on Christmas Eve? Winter Solstice?" To all of these, Demyx's head was shaking so fast you could hardly see it. You let out a big puff of air from between your cheeks. This was rough. "Wow..." You sank into the cushions of the couch, the blanket dragging from your shoulders. Seeing this, the nobody pulled the blanket off his own body, making sure to keep you warm. Once it was draped completely around you, Demyx let out a sigh, himself.

  
"I probably know about it from somewhere, deep down in there," Demyx guessed, tapping at the top of his head. "I just don't get as many flashes of what I was like before as the rest of the guys get, I guess." Your heart fell into your stomach. Your hand reached for his gloved one slowly, giving it a squeeze once the suede-like material was within your grasp.

  
"Alright, well where do I begin?" You saddled up to begin to explain Christmas as best you could, pulling your feet up to sit cross-legged. You rambled on about origins before finally getting into the modern version of Christmas, speaking with your hands as you went. "And people will put lights up around their houses in every color. Some people go all out and sync up the blinking with music! I think you'd really like that, actually. And, um, pretty much everyone gets at least one gift for everyone they like. Like, I've done some shopping already. It's not so much about gift getting as much as giving. It's the one time of year people will let you spoil them without complaining. And then, of course, Santa-the red jolly guy I was talking about before-will come fill up the stockings you hung and leave you gifts himself. he spends all year in his workshop overseeing the gifts! Is any of this making sense?"

  
You finally broke your story to turn and gauge the reaction of your best friend, hoping you hadn't bored him to sleep. To your great joy, it appeared you had done just the opposite. He had an expression of almost childlike joy on his face, mouth dropped open as he listened to you.

  
"What does Santa charge?" he asked, bewildered. You laughed, shaking your head.

  
"Santa doesn't work for munny! He works for the joy of knowing he made someone's year a little bit brighter. Well, that and the cookies, I guess. His diet must primarily be cookies at this point," you trailed off, your finger tapping your chin as you mused.

  
"That sounds too good to be true. I don't believe it," Demyx decided, shaking his head once more, his mohawk moving softly with his every move. You puffed out your cheeks. But Santa was real! You might be the only grown person who believed (Other than Sora) but you still believed, dammit.

  
"Fine, have it your way. See who gets coal in their stocking," you teased, sticking your tongue out as you crossed your arms.

  
"Oh, come on. get real, (y/n). I don't think Xemnas is gonna be so quick to start hanging stockings around The World That Never Was. And if Santa is real, he definitely skips over us." Your mouth opened and closed a few times. Was that true? Santa came to visit you every year...and someone as goofy and pure-hearted as Demyx was sure to be on the nice list. A plan began to form in your head. If Christmas wouldn't go to him, he'd have to come to it.

  
"Whatever, Dem. Hey, you're coming over next Wednesday afternoon, right? I hear the channel is making a new compilation that day and uploading it at noon.  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, (y/n),' he grinned, clearly accepting that the conversation had ended.

  
"Good, now get back under here," you demanded, holding out one end of the blanket like a wing while your free hand worked on unlocking your phone again.

  
\---

  
Christmas morning was absolutely magical- as per usual. Your mom spared no expense getting you exactly what you wanted- even if you hadn't vocalized it. In return, you'd saved enough munny to get her a few gifts, as well as shower her with all her favorite candies. The morning started just the same as any other Christmas, you woke her up and ran downstairs together to make peppermint pancakes with white chocolate chips as well as a myriad of various breakfast items to accompany them.

  
After you'd shared Christmas breakfast, you both raced into the living room and sat around the tree. One the count of three, you each tore into your presents. Thirty minutes later, you were both surrounded by wrapping paper and were in fits of giggles. You wouldn't exchange these holidays with her for anything. Your family was very very small, but it was everything to you. Once everything was clean, you went to make the both of you hot cups of cocoa with extra whipped cream.

  
One showing of every Christmas episode of Gossip Girl, your mom let out a sigh and patted your knee. "Well, kiddo, it's about that time again." You grimaced but moved to sit up with her.

  
"Lives aren't gonna save themselves, I guess," you agreed. She gave you a smile and leaned over, her lips planting themselves on your cheek before she stood.

  
"Love you, cupcake. Merry Christmas."

  
"Merry Christmas, mom," you called to her, watching her leave from the edge of the couch. As soon as the door was closed, you shot up from your spot and ran upstairs, plugging in your curling iron as you dashed around your room. You had plans this Wednesday. You were going to give a Christmas surprise so exciting, even a Nobody would feel their heart warmed.

  
Another half hour passed; you looked amazing. Your hair was curled back, you wore a cozy red sweater, a Santa hat adorned your head, and a glossy red lip pulled your whole outfit together. All you could do now was wait for the guest of honor.

  
\---

  
Demyx arrived in Destiny Islands mid-afternoon after completing his task. Truth be told, he had considered just going straight to bed with how exhausted he was- but he made you a promise. To his dismay, he appeared a few blocks over from his destination and now had to walk the rest of the way. "Son of a..." he muttered, his head shaking. His hands tucked themselves into the pockets of his cloak as he walked, drinking in the views around him.

  
The air was chilly enough to bite at bare skin at this point and lights had begun to spring up on people's homes. It was getting dark pretty early now, so even in this dusk-like brightness level, they were turned on- multi-colored strings adorning and accenting every curve of the homes. Some had wrapped them around their palm trees, some had only one specific color, some blinked and moved. "This must be what (y/n) was talking about. Christmas must be coming up or something," the water manipulator spoke to himself, his head turning every which way.

  
\---

  
A knock at your door pulled your attention away from the tv screen. You flicked the power to the set off immediately and ran to throw the door open, grinning from ear to ear at the sight before you. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" You screamed, throwing your arms around Demyx's neck and pulling him close.

  
"Wuh? Christmas?" Today? Demyx was in shock, which is why he hesitated for a moment before returning your embrace, although not as passionately as you squeezed him with. Paying no attention to his lack of enthusiasm, you pulled back to kiss his cheek. You smiled at him before realizing you'd left a red mark on his skin.  
"Oh, oh shoot. Hold on," you said, scrubbing at his cheek with the sleeve of your sweater.

  
"What's going on?" Demyx questioned, swatting away your hand and rubbing at his face himself. Once you pulled back enough for Demyx to catch a complete eyeful of you, his cheeks burned and he looked away from you. Why in the worlds did you look so good?!

  
"Merry Christmas!" you repeated, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the living room. You reached underneath the tree skirt-a place your mother wouldn't have found it-and pulled out two gifts, wrapped in red paper with white snowflakes adorning it, a bow sitting on top of each. Demyx felt a tightening in his throat.

  
"(y/n)...." No one had ever done anything this nice for him, never gone to this extent to make him happy. He didn't know what he was feeling-or rather lack of feeling. You, yourself, could feel tears welling up in your eyes for seeing the joy of Christmas spreading across Demyx's face for the first time. You blinked them away, pulling the presents back before he could grab onto them.

  
"Shh! First, we have to make Christmas cookies!" You grabbed onto Demyx's gloved hands, walking backward into the kitchen where you had laid out all the ingredients needed to make shaped sugar cookies.

  
"Uhh...this might be a good time to mention I've never...cooked...anything..." Demyx trailed off, his eyes going wide with fear.

  
"This will be fun, don't worry!" you reassured, connecting your phone to the Bluetooth speaker to play Christmas music.

  
\---

  
Well, the kitchen was a disaster. Flour somehow ended up on the ceiling and frosting on the inside of your freezer? Okay, so maybe you'd have to do a little...or a lot...of heavy cleaning later, but what mattered was you and Demyx were eating some sightly burnt but still delicious sugar cookies. "You did a damn good job," you complimented, covering your mouth as you spoke mid-chew.

  
"These are the best cookies I've ever had!" Demyx nodded, secretly very impressed with himself.

  
"Okay, present time!" you exclaimed, standing up straight and motioning for Demyx to come into the living room with you.

  
_"Last night I took a walk in the snow...Couples holdin' hands_ , _places to go...Seems like everyone but me is in love. Santa, can you hear me?"_

  
You retrieved the presents from under the tree once more and sat next to the blonde nervously, but also excited for him to open his gifts. You thought long and hard what to get for him.

  
"So you just...tear it open? And ruin the paper?" You sighed, nodding your head.

  
"Yes! Ruin the paper! Just open it!"

  
_"I want someone to love me,_ someone _to hold."_

  
The sound of shredding wrapping paper filled the room for a split second and was immediately followed by a "WOAAHHH!", causing you to shriek and clap your hands together.  
"Do you like it?! It's new strings and polish for your sitar!" Demyx looked up from the products finally and tackled you into a hug, pulling you off the couch and rolling on the ground with you.

  
"I love it! (y/n), you're the best!"

  
_"He's all I want, just for me, underneath my Christmas tree. I'll be waiting here."_

  
You laughed from underneath him, giddy with the joy of giving the perfect gift.

  
"I'm so glad you like it, I was so worried."

  
"I wish you would have told me...I didn't get you anything!" You shrugged as best you could in the situation you were in.

  
"All I wanted was to see you smile," you spoke honestly. Demyx felt a pang of tightness in his chest. Like something was gripping his insides. You looked past him, embarrassed at how open you'd been. "Oh, that's where the mistletoe ended up, huh?" It was hanging directly above the two of you. Your mom put it in new places each year. Demyx's head turned upwards, catching a glimpse of it. He remembered enough about the Christmas lesson to know what to do now.

  
_"Santa, that's my only wish this year."_

  
Demyx's lips were against yours in the next moment, catching you off guard. Your eyes widened before closing completely, moving your lips against his. You pulled apart after a few moments. You brought your hand up to stroke his cheek and he bent down to press another kiss to your nose.

  
"Merry Christmas, (y/n)." This time, blush stained your own cheeks. You averted your gaze, unable to look at Demyx at this moment. "Woah, you got me a stocking, too?!" Wait, what? In an instant, his weight was off you and you were sitting up straight.

  
"Dem, wait, I didn't buy you a stock-" Well, you'll be damned. Sure enough, on the wall was a blue stocking with Demyx's name embroidered on the top. You grinned at it fondly and swore you could hear jingle bells in the air.

  
The moment lasted about two seconds before you chucked a plastic ornament at his head. "I TOLD YOU SANTA WAS REAL! HE BROUGHT YOU A STOCKING EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN HIM!" you yelled, standing up and grabbing anything you could reach to whack him with. Your response was a mix of laughter and 'I believe! I believe!'. It wasn't how you usually spent Christmas nights, but it might just be your favorite new tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to readers who don't celebrate Christmas, that's the holiday I celebrate and the only one I feel confident writing about in detail without screwing anything up and disrespecting other religions cultures!
> 
> Please imagine watching Vines with Demyx and think of a happier world
> 
> Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrvebqA8xdM


	5. Underneath The Tree [RIKU]

The winter air nipped at your cheeks and bare legs, causing your skin to flush slightly with the effort of keeping you warm. Your school uniform wasn't equipped to handle the steadily dropping temperatures; luckily they'd bent and allowed you to cover your arms with a grey cardigan. You clutched it to your body as you walked through the halls, hoping to keep your body slightly warmer as you looked at the cloudy sky, light straining to get through.

  
Not even the colder-than-normal temperatures could disrupt your joy, however. It was finally here! Two weeks of school-free winter break joy! As soon as your feet passed the school gates you sighed, throwing your arms in the air. "FREEDOM!" you exclaimed. Sora and Kairi followed suit, Riku, however, kept walking- only pausing to roll his eyes and denounce ever knowing you. "Don't be such a stick in the mud," you teased with a laugh as you tucked your hands inside the pockets of your cardigan in an attempt to warm them from their current 'numb' status.

  
"He's just mad because he won't get to kiss the teachers' asses until next year now," Sora followed up, sticking his tongue out at his silver-haired friend.

  
"Oh, you got me," Riku spoke sarcastically, his eyes rolling once more.

  
"Keep rolling those baby blue's and they're gonna fall right out of your head." You caught up with Riku on his descent of the stairs, smiling up at him with a wink.

  
"Keep being so sarcastic and someone's gonna cut your tongue out," Riku teased back, shooting you a wink of his own, making you chuckle under your breath. The four of you started your walk home simple as always- mindless chatter filling the winter air. The palm trees swayed in the distance, the soft flapping of the fronds mixing with the cool ocean breeze bringing you to your happy place.

  
"Hey, what's everyone doing for Christmas?" you asked suddenly. Your mom always worked in the afternoon, leaving you alone for dinner. It would be nice if maybe the four of you could all get together and have a friends-mas, or something.

  
"Uh, meeting SANTA, of course!" Sora boasted, clambering forward to stick his head in front of the group. You screwed your face up, head tilting to the side.

  
"Wait, isn't Santa gonna be trying to sleep? After delivering presents to EVERYONE? Is that really a good idea?" you question, causing Sora's face to fall.

  
"That's what I've been trying to tell him, but he never listens to me," Kairi speaks up, bopping Sora lightly on the head. The brunette stood up straight, shrugging immediately.

  
"He'll see me. He has to, he's Santa. Besides, I'm bringing Kairi with me and it's her first time meeting him!" You turned to look at Kairi and she shot you a horrified grin, obviously trying to mask her discomfort with bothering the jolly man on his busiest day of the year. You slapped a hand over your mouth to stop yourself from laughing.

Alright, well, that was half of friends-mas down the tubes.

  
"What about you, Riku?" Riku looked like he had been dreading this question turning to him since you first asked it. You, obliviously, didn't notice and pressed on anyway, a friendly smile on your face.

  
"Oh, I'm really busy. Jam packed. Don't worry about me." he answered quickly, a clearly forced grin on his features. straining to turn into a grimace at any moment.

  
Your face fell, eyebrows furrowing. "Aw, man. Alright, well that sounds fun! You guys have fun." You put on a happy face for your friends. You were actually very glad they all had things to do and people to celebrate with, but you couldn't help but be a little sour at having to spend the rest of the holiday alone, like usual.

  
"Oh, hey, (y/n) I think I forgot one of my coats t your house, can I come grab it?" Kairi asked you, running up next to you.

  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem. I haven't seen anything though?"

  
"THANKS (Y/N) I KNOW WHERE IT IS BYE BOYS!!" Kairi exclaimed over you while you spoke, shoving you in the general direction of your house. You were steered away from your friends, only able to offer a wave over your shoulder as you forcibly marched. Once out of earshot, Kairi let her hands fall from your upper back, removing the pressure she held there. You stumbled for a moment after having relied on it heavily.

  
"Hey, what gives?" you complain after completely regaining your balance. Kairi had stopped walking and was chewing on her lip, looking extremely conflicted. "Are you okay?" you ask, immediately going into protective-friend-mode. You reached forward, putting a hand on her shoulder and rubbing circles into it with your thumb.

  
"It's not me, it's Riku," Kairi sighed out, reaching up to rub her forehead. "I don't know why he didn't tell you. He doesn't have plans for Christmas, okay? Never has before, so I don't know why it would be any different this year." Your head tilted to the side once more, confusion flooding your expression.

  
"Wait, why would he say that then?" Kairi shook her head, waving her hands in front of her body as you dropped yours back to your side.

  
"That's not my story to tell. That's gonna be something you take up with him, okay, (y/n)? I just wanted you to know." She looked off into the distance, in the direction Sora and Riku had run off in. She chewed on her lip for a moment before starting to walk off. She turned around, stepping backward to offer one more sentence with you. "No one deserves to be alone on Christmas." You stared back at her, completely dumbstricken and unaware how to handle this new information.

  
\---

  
"Why'd you lie to (y/n)?" Sora asked Riku once he was sure (y/n) and his girlfriend had gone far enough out of earshot that not even the best of listeners could overhear. Riku tucked his hands into his slacks after loosening his tie, looking straight ahead, his eyes trained on nothing in particular.

  
"I don't need her pity," the older male answered cooly, no hint of emotion in his voice. Sora furrowed his eyebrows, trying to make sense of what his dumb best friend was trying to convey.

  
"You're stupid, she doesn't pity you. She wanted to try and make plans with you." Sora's head shook, his spikes waving every which way. Riku's eyes widened slightly, a tiny noise of surprise leaving his lips. He looked down to his friend, trying to keep calm.

  
"What do you mean?" Sora looked up at Riku and was immediately taken aback by his surprised expression.

  
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean?'? Her mom's a doctor, sand for brains! Doctors don't get Christmas off. She spends it alone." Sora muttered a few more words about how dense his best friend was that were lost to Riku. He could feel the tiny hairs standing up on the back of his neck. Just because he had to spend holidays by himself didn't mean anyone else, especially not her, should have to.

  
"Wait up!" A female voice called from behind them. Both boys turned their heads to see Kairi running up to them, her school case swinging. Once caught up, she ran into Sora's arms, greeting him with a quick kiss. Riku looked away while this happened, but returned eye contact when they pulled back, Sora's arm around Kairi's shoulder to keep her warm.

  
"What about your coat?" Riku asked, noting how the female returned empty-handed.

  
"Oh," Kairi spoke, eyebrows raising. "Remembered halfway there that I did bring it home! So I came back," she finished with a laugh, shrugging as Sora lovingly called her a bonehead.

  
"So (y/n)'s alone?" Riku pressed on.

  
"Calm down, Reeks. She's a big girl, she can get home by herself," Kairi assured. Yeah, that may be so. But Riku was liking the idea of her being alone less and less by the second.

  
\---

  
Christmas morning was absolutely magical- as per usual. Your mom spared no expense getting you exactly what you wanted- even if you hadn't vocalized it. In return, you'd saved enough munny to get her a few gifts, as well as shower her with all her favorite candies. The morning started just the same as any other Christmas, you woke her up and ran downstairs together to make peppermint pancakes with white chocolate chips as well as a myriad of various breakfast items to accompany them.

  
After you'd shared Christmas breakfast, you both raced into the living room and sat around the tree. One the count of three, you each tore into your presents. Thirty minutes later, you were both surrounded by wrapping paper and were in fits of giggles. You wouldn't exchange these holidays with her for anything. Your family was very very small, but it was everything to you. Once everything was clean, you went to make the both of you hot cups of cocoa with extra whipped cream.

  
One showing of every Christmas episode of Gossip Girl, your mom let out a sigh and patted your knee. "Well, kiddo, it's about that time again." You grimaced but moved to sit up with her.

  
"Lives aren't gonna save themselves, I guess," you agreed. She gave you a smile and leaned over, her lips planting themselves on your cheek before she stood.

  
"Love you, cupcake. Merry Christmas."

  
"Love you, momma." You waved as she shut the door. You leaned back in your seat for a moment, thinking twice about what you were going to do. What if he shot you down? Or didn't want to see you at all? No, this was something you needed to do. You sat up eventually, rocking yourself on your heels. Right, hair first. You threw yourself into making yourself look decent and not like you'd woken up at 6 A.M. to tear open gifts.

  
A good forty-five minutes later and you had completely transformed. Latex points adorned the tops of your ears, Blush and freckles shone rightly on your cheeks, and you were decked out in green and red. You were Santa's elf today, determined to deliver holiday cheer. Whether the recipient wanted it or not, dammit. You grabbed the box from the back of your closet that you'd wrapped in paper with peppermints sprinkled about that contained the ability ring, the elixir, the Porg plushie, and the homemade snowball cookies you'd baked earlier in the week and left your house.

  
You hadn't actually been over to Riku's house before, but Kairi gave you the address after much cookie-related bribing. The wind chilled you to your bone and you suddenly wondered if the cuteness of the outfit was worth it or if the effect would be the same if you put on a very thick parka on top. No, no, not the same. Come on, (y/n), power through this. You put your head down and powered through the cold, walking very quickly. You were so concentrated, you didn't hear the person calling your name the first time. It took until the third call for your elven ears to perk up. You stood up straight, looking around until you spotted the body attached to the voice.

  
"Riku, what are you doing here?" you questioned, marching over to him. He was wearing a very warm looking jacket and gloves and appeared to be holding some type of gift. Oh no, he definitely had actual plans to spend the holidays with someone after all. He quickly tucked the package into his jacket, causing you to strain to get a genuine smile on your face.

  
"I was just...going somewhere. Where were you heading off to in such a hurry?"

  
_"You're here, where you should be. Snow is falling as the caroler's sing."_

  
Oh no. What do you do? Do you admit that you were wanting to see him? Lie and invent a crazy story? Move to Wonderland? Oh, that was a good one. No, wait, you spent too much munny on this damn present. You eventually sighed and looked at the ground to avoid eye contact. "Actually, I was planning to come visit you but you look super busy and probably have plans like you said you did so here just take it and I'll go I'm so sorry," you spoke very quickly, all in one breath. Your arms shot out the gift, wanting this extremely awkward moment over with. Unseen to you, Riku visibly relaxed. You felt a hand on your shoulder and looked up to see the most breathtaking smile you'll ever witness.

  
_"It just wasn't the same alone on Christmas day."_

  
"I'm not busy, I wanted to make sure you weren't spending Christmas alone," he promised, locking eyes with you so you would fully believe him. Warmth flooded your heart as he pulled the present back out of his coat, presenting it to you. You gave him a warm grin, exchanging gifts.

  
"Do you want to come back to my house?" you offered, eager to get out of the cold, and also somewhere more private, but, most importantly, not stating that you had been trying to make sure he wasn't spending Christmas alone, also. Riku nodded, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you headed back to your house.

  
_"Presents; what a beautiful sight. Don't mean a thing if you ain't holding me tight."_

  
Once inside and warm again, the both of you got to opening your Christmas presents to each other. The one Riku was crudely wrapped, but you could tell serious effort had gone into it. You let him go first, squealing as he expressed joy over each of them, laughing together at the stuffed Porg. Once he thanked you, he urged you to open yours. You tore into the paper, removing it before you looked confused at the item on your lap.

  
"A paopu?" you questioned, looking up at him, not even bothering to hide your bewilderment. Riku took a deep breath as he nodded.

  
"I thought we could share it." he had to look away from your eyes as he spoke his next few words. "I want our destinies to be intertwined." The next sound that could be heard was the paopu hitting the floor as you all but flung yourself across the couch and straddled his lap, your hands holding his face as your lips slammed into his.

  
_"You're all I need underneath the tree."_

  
It took Riku by surprise, absolutely, but he still responded immediately, gripping the small of your back and pulling you closer, his lips moving against yours in a way that was sure to leave both pairs bruised. You remained melded together for a few moments before breaking free, your foreheads touching, breath mingling together.

  
"Merry Christmas, Riku," you breathed, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Merry Christmas, (y/n)," he reciprocated, a smirk playing on his lips. You looked away, unable to handle eye contact at the moment, and saw the Paopu laying on the ground.

  
"So, do either of us actually know what that tastes like?" you asked, sitting up straighter.

  
Riku shook his head, looking at the fruit as well. "Not the slightest clue."

  
"So it could be disgusting?"

  
"Yep."

  
You nodded. "Alright, I'll get chasers," you spoke, giving him a pat on the chest before dismounting him and heading into the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to readers who don't celebrate Christmas, that's the holiday I celebrate and the only one I feel confident writing about in detail without screwing anything up and disrespecting other religions cultures!
> 
> If they can bring Toy Story into KH...they can bring over Star Wars I'm DEMANDING Sora running around with porgs
> 
> Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfF10ow4YEo
> 
> -Minnie


	6. Fool's Holiday [AXEL]

Winter had set in around your Islands. The air had gotten chilly enough and the water cold enough that parents wouldn't let their children row their way to the islets. School was let out for the next few weeks, jolly music filled the air wherever you went, and shops displayed their sales proudly. Signs all throughout the shopping districts read "Only _ shopping days 'til Christmas!", a gentle reminder for people to get themselves in gear. And you? You were one of the people who hadn't gotten yourself into gear yet.

  
It was a Tuesday morning when you realized you desperately needed to at the very least begin your shopping. You weren't used to having more than three people to shop for, but the year had blessed you with so many amazing friends that you were ready to drain your bank account to see them smile. Unfortunately, you had a Tuesday ritual with one of those amazing friends and had to await his arrival. You had yanked Axel's street clothes from the bottom of your drawer (you'd gotten sick of him stealing clothes anytime you had to run an errand with him and decided to keep the nicked goods at your home, where he'd actually remember them) and folded them nicely on your bed before heading downstairs to start formulating a shopping list.

  
'Alright. This should be easy. You know these people. Well. Get it together. Okay, Selphie: Makeup. Easy,' you thought to yourself as you scribbled furiously on a notepad as if the ideas could fade away if your hand didn't move fast enough. 'Mom: that rice cooker she wanted, some perfume, cute new scrubs, and whatever else I see that makes me think of her.' It was around this time that you heard the noises of footsteps upstairs but ignored them, choosing to keep going rather than accidentally walk in on him half-naked (which happened so often you started to wonder if he planned it).

  
'Kairi: red shampoo? Is that her natural hair color? Crap, uh, maybe a stuffed dreameater? Sora: ...a stuffed dreameater?' This internal debate kept you busy until footsteps came from your stairway, causing your head to perk up.

  
"Where are we going now?" Axel anti-greeted in an annoyed voice, tugging his red flannel into perfect place. You swallowed after taking in his gorgeous appearance and then gave him an overly-large grin.

  
"Do you wanna be the best friend ever?"

  
"What's in it for me?"

  
"I'll pretend you said yes. We have to go shopping today," you informed him, scribbling down more ideas on your notepad. Axel's seafoam eyes rolled, his arms crossing themselves under his chest.

  
"Don't tell me you're one of those people who puts Christmas shopping off until the last minute, MC." Honestly, you felt attacked. You were exactly that type of person.

  
"I just got a little behind! I didn't even think you'd know what Christmas is," you grumble, a little bummed at realizing you wouldn't be able to weave the tales of Saint Nick your entire walk to the shopping district.

  
"What am I? New?" You shook your head as you grabbed your wallet and keys, jerking your head towards the front door.

  
"You just haven't had any jolly spirit the last few times I've seen you," you explain, shrugging as you wait for him to exit so you can lock the door. Axel followed you outside, a smirk wide on his lips.

  
"Do you want me to strap on a Santa beard and start singing Christmas carols? Pretty sure I got some of those memorized." You caught up with him easily, laughing as you think about Axel belting along to "Baby It's Cold Outside". "Or we could just go straight to the three ho's." he sneered, the smirk never leaving his for an instant.

  
"Ooookay, that's enough Christmas outta you," you spoke quickly, walking a bit faster than him so he couldn't see the color tinting your cheeks.

  
\---

  
"Do you think Demyx would like this?" you ask the fiery-haired man to your side, holding up a book on guitars through the ages.

  
"He doesn't play guitar." You whined out in response, placing the book back on the shelf.

  
"I know, but there's nothing else here for him!" So far, you'd only gotten gifts for the women in your life. They were just so much easier than guys. You'd dragged Axel through what felt like every store in the district and still were running empty on ideas. The constant Christmas music was enough to make you want to bang your head against the wall and Axel seemed to be in an equally sour mood.

  
"Then don't get him anything. Brat doesn't deserve a thing, anyway," Axel grumbled, looking around the store.

  
"But he's such a good friend to me," you whined again, rubbing your forehead. "I think I know what I want to get for Sora and Riku, come on," you encouraged, pulling on his sleeve. Axel's arm moved quickly out of your grasp, causing you to raise your eyebrows and suck your lips in. great, now you'd pissed him off. Maybe he should just leave if he was so miserable. Besides, that way, you could get his gift. You knew weeks ago what you wanted to get for him. Regardless, you ended up just walking out of the store and hoping he'd follow. You felt a wind chill immediately after exiting the door and instantly regretted wearing only a thin long sleeve shirt.

  
After tugging the sleeves down as far as they would go, you braced yourself to start walking through the icy breeze, intent on getting to that Moogle shop sooner rather than later. Before you could get too far, you felt something warm cascading around your shoulders. Something very warm, actually. You reached up and felt the rough fabric of Axel's flannel covering your torso. You looked up instantly, eyes narrowing seeing him in only his tank top. You moved to take it off and pitch a fit about him getting sick when he placed a hand on yours to stop you. You noted his fingers were practically burning.

  
"I can generate as much body heat as I need. Keep it." Any fight you held inside died when you saw the flash of a caring smile for a nanosecond before the stone cold expression slid back over his face and he looked away. You slid your arms into the coat, cherishing its warmth.

  
"Someone's caught under the mistletoe!" Oh no. Oh no, you'd wandered into the photography tent while you weren't paying attention. They were relentless any time you visited and wouldn't let you go without taking your picture. And now? now they had brought mistletoe into it. The man with the Polaroid camera stood there, mistletoe attached to what appeared to be a cat toy, holding it above your and Axel's heads. You were mortified, eyes widening and color draining from your face.

  
"Nope, all good!' you spoke cheerily, trying to grab Axel and run, but he wouldn't budge. "Axel!" you hissed, pulling harder. Axel was cracking up, not even trying to cover it with his hand.

  
"Come on, lovebirds. Everyone wants to see it! Isn't that right?!" The photographer yelled the last part, getting applause from passerby's who had no idea what was happening. you groaned loudly, putting your head in your hands. This wasn't happening. "Come on, it's a free picture!"

  
"Yeah, it's a free picture, cupcake." Sarcasm dripped off the last word from Axel's mouth, causing you to shoot him a death glare.

  
"Let's get this over with," you grumbled, agreeing to the humiliation as long as it ended soon. The photographer grinned, pleased with himself, while he got ready.  
"Go ahead!' he encouraged. You shut your eyes and tilted your head upwards, ready for the obligatory peck that was about to grace your lips. What you weren't ready for was the feeling of Axel's warm hands grasping the sides of your face, pulling you in closer as he slammed his lips to yours desperately and deeply. You saw a flash of light through your closed lids before they shot back open. You grabbed o to the front of his shirt, ready to shove him off, but lost your will somewhere. You relaxed and let him have his way with your lips until the photographer cleared his throat, making Axel pull back.

  
You were gasping for air, pressing your hand to your chest to steady your heart as the fire-manipulator simply smirked and turned to the photographer. "I'll take the picture, please."

  
"I fucking hate you," you shot out, cursing him for being so damn dramatic all the time. Axel merely grinned, satisfied with himself as he slid the picture into your purse.

  
\---

  
Christmas morning was absolutely magical- as per usual. Your mom spared no expense getting you exactly what you wanted- even if you hadn't vocalized it. She'd absolutely loved every gift you'd gotten her, as well as the candy you showered her in. The morning started just the same as any other Christmas, you woke her up and ran downstairs together to make peppermint pancakes with white chocolate chips as well as a myriad of various breakfast items to accompany them.

  
After you'd shared Christmas breakfast, you both raced into the living room and sat around the tree. One the count of three, you each tore into your presents. Thirty minutes later, you were both surrounded by wrapping paper and were in fits of giggles. You wouldn't exchange these holidays with her for anything. Your family was very very small, but it was everything to you. Once everything was clean, you went to make the both of you hot cups of cocoa with extra whipped cream.

  
One showing of every Christmas episode of Gossip Girl, your mom let out a sigh and patted your knee. "Well, kiddo, it's about that time again." You grimaced but moved to sit up with her.

  
"Lives aren't gonna save themselves, I guess," you agreed. She gave you a smile and leaned over, her lips planting themselves on your cheek before she stood.

  
"Love you, cupcake. Merry Christmas."

  
"Bye, mom," you waved from the couch. The door shut behind her and you sighed to yourself. You hadn't really thought the day's events over very well. It was all riding on Axel deciding to show up. You didn't much have a way to contact him and definitely couldn't shoot him a text like "Hey! Come over!". All you could do was get yourself pretty and hope. And that's what you did. An hour later, you were back on the couch, a black Santa hat complimenting your smokey eyes and a black sweater dress, your red painted lips adding a much-needed pop of color.

  
This was stupid. Why would he come visit you on Christmas day? You saltily ate popcorn as you glared at the movies on your tv. And then you heard the melodious tune of footsteps stomping around upstairs. Your entire expression brightened up as you bolted off the couch, launching yourself up the stairs.

  
_"I swear I'm more than just broken promises."_

  
"Axel?" you called, opening your door. Sitting on your bed was the king of smirking himself. You were elated to see him and immediately grabbed his presents from your desk, jutting them out in front of you. "Merry Christmas!"

  
"Aw, doll, you shouldn't have. All I got you was this," he spoke sarcastically, tossing a clumsily wrapped parcel. You held it tightly, placing Axel's presents on his lap.

  
"You first, okay?" You couldn't believe how truly happy you were in this moment. Your heart had lept into your throat and the butterflies of anxiety played a huge role in your stomach. Axel shrugged, playing his part well as he unwrapped both boxes. "Okay, so that's a few new band shirts for you to wear when we go out so people don't think you only own one outfit," you explain, causing Axel to smirk.

  
"I do only own one outfit, got it memorized?" He tapped the side of your head for you before holding up the smaller box. "And these?" You grinned widely. These were your favorite.

  
"Smoke bombs! More dramatic appearances and exits. Right up your alley...right?" You asked, anxiety flooding you as you pondered if he even liked his gifts.  
"Anything's possible," he commented, making your grin reappear. You knew him well enough to know that meant he liked them. "Alright now, MC, your turn." He motioned to the gift you held in your hands.

  
_"Decorations can change- like tinsel and ribbons."_

  
You tore into the paper, not bothering to save it (if it was ever salvageable, that is.). Hidden inside was a red flannel, identical to the one Axel owned. You looked up at him, ecstatic inside.

  
"You wanna match now or what?"

  
"I just don't need you taking mine when you get cold, alright?" He looked away, playing the role of a 'cool, unreachable and unemotional guy' perfectly. You roll your eyes, pulling it out completely to see it. Once opened, something tumbled out from inside. Mistletoe landed at your toes. Causing you to laugh sarcastically. "Oh ha ha, very fun-" Your words were cut off by a kiss. One of the same caliber that you had experienced last week, but much more private- only for you.

  
_"So do not open 'til you've got forever to spend with me on a fool's holiday."_

  
You responded quickly, your lips pressing back against his instinctively. Your arms wrapped around his neck as his hands found your hips, pulling you forward so you were practically sitting on his lap. He broke away only to leave several more open-mouthed kisses across your jaw and down your neck, leaving you pulling at the strands of hair closest to the back of his neck, the soft spikes squished in your fists. He finally pulled back, looking you in the eyes- his own darker than normal. You stared back at him, gasping for breath but not daring leave your position. That was definitely something that just happened.

  
Axel's eyes focused on something behind you and then back to you, the corners of his mouth turning up. "So you already put the picture up, huh?"

  
You deadpanned, removing your hands from around his neck. "You have red lipstick all over your face," you shot, standing up weakly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to readers who don't celebrate Christmas, that's the holiday I celebrate and the only one I feel confident writing about in detail without screwing anything up and disrespecting other religions cultures!
> 
> That ties up the Christmas series! Vanitas is getting his very own New Years special (he wasn't including in Christmas because his song would be Yule Shoot Your Eye Out instead of something cheerful) next week, so be sure to look out for that! I hope all of you had the happiest holiday season with your families. As the season slows down, you'll see me much more frequently updating. Happy holidays to you and yours. <3
> 
> Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX74HsAVWr0
> 
> -Minnie


	7. The Nightmare Before Christmas [AXEL]

"What's wrong?" The words were spat at you much harsher than intended, the result of physical exertion as Kairi's keyblade narrowly missed your head, your hair braided back for this exact reason. The redhead, fully aware she was one stroke away from giving you a bob, rotated her key-shaped blades away from the general direction of your scalp. The question caught you off guard, your eyebrows furrowing as your lack of judgement gave Kairi the chance to hike her knee up and extend her leg quickly up towards the other side of your head.

  
Not one to be easily fooled, you ducked away from both her attacks before she could make the finishing blow. Instead, you heard a noise of slight fear followed by the thumping noise of your practice-enemy falling over. You raced back to her location, placing your keyblade with the blunt side to her neck. "Nothing. I win," you added, extending a hand to help her out. She pouted at you before slapping her hand in yours, allowing you to help her to her feet. It was a chilly day- the ninth of November, actually.

  
The crisp morning air chilled your bare arms. Coupled with the heat brought on by adrenaline and fierce training, it was the best time of year, in your opinion. Not too cold, but not hot enough that you were forced to practice in the stuffy attic Merlin usually advised you to use. Instead, you and your sparring partner were free to utilize the large promenade in the third district of Traverse Town. The area was usually empty this early in the morning, and there were no homes around to disrupt with the noises that a full on fight brought on.

  
"You're lying," Kairi teased in a singsong voice, fully not dealing with your nonsense. You rolled your eyes, lifting your Keyblade in time with yours You both rushed at each other, but you were a second faster. With a battle call of 'Raid!' your best weapon, in beautiful ocean cyan mixed with stunning beige sand colors left your hand, twirling towards Kairi. She deflected a moment too late, causing you to land a blow on her, but your key landing too far away for your comfort.

  
"I'm not lying!" you exclaim, ducking under a blast of ice as you shot towards your sparring weapon. You were lying, though. You'd been off for a solid week and a half now. Woke up in a bad mood and couldn't seem to fight it off. Something broad hit your back, causing you to spit out a noise of shock and tumble forward, an inch from your keyblade.

  
"Yes, you are!" Your hand was one pull away from making contact with metal. Kairi's boot came down-gently-onto your wrist. You looked back up at her, her keyblade positioned to point over your heart. She'd won. "Is it because of..." the redhead looked to either side, her bob flowing with each movement. "him?" she finished. An image of a stunning man with hair like flames flew to your eyesight immediately. Without a second guess, you extended your free arm forward.

  
"FIRE!" you yelled with all your might, feeling the heat travel up your arm, through your wrist, and finally expelling itself through your fingertips. It danced in a circle for a moment before closing in. You heard a shriek and a cry of 'Aero!' as you sat up, panting. Fire was the only element you'd mastered enough to use without using your keyblade.   
"You didn't have to burn me, I knew I was right already," Kairi complained, all but gasping in air to offset the fear you'd just put into her.

  
"I won," you smiled up at her. Of course, she was right. Not all your problems revolved around Axe, but he sure didn't help or make it easy by avoiding starting them. You hadn't seen him in over a week. Which isn't very rare, to be fair. But he missed Halloween. It seemed like everyone did. Yeah, sure, holidays sometimes went uncelebrated in this line of work, but Halloween was your favorite! You couldn't help but remember last year with Axel when he whisked you off to Disneyland. that was the first night you really felt like you were in deep trouble. you could imagine being with him romantically.

  
Being in such a large crowd of people from all the worlds on such a popular day, you had to have his hand in yours most the night just to make sure you didn't get lost. Sitting close on the Haunted Mansion, standing in front of him, his chest to your back, while watching Fantasmic!, seeing that big stupid sarcastic grin you treasured under the orange lights of the Halloween tree...it was too much for you. So you were a little miffed and disappointed that you had not only been jipped of the holiday but of also seeing Axel now that you were together in formal terms.

  
Of course, being with him wasn't easy. Very taboo, in fact. Kairi was sworn to secrecy because you both knew the boys of your friend group would have none of you 'sleeping with the enemy'. You shook the thoughts aside and stood, summoning your keyblade like you should've done in the first place. "Come on, let's finish this. I need to whoop your ass a few more times before breakfast. Kairi gave you a look that said that she wasn't letting you put this to rest forever, but planned to oblige. The two of you lunged towards each other again, the sounds of metal hitting metal filling the air again soon enough.

  
\---

  
It was later that day-after you'd taken your hair down and finally given yourself some sustenance- that you set out to go grocery shopping. You were only spending a couple weeks in Traverse Town, and then it was back to your Islands, but your set of misfit friends seemed to think that packing only two mushrooms, an egg you weren't sure was from a chicken, and a bottle of fresh water was all the food they needed to take. You didn't even trust them to go to the marketplace by themselves.

  
You strolled through the second district, whistling to yourself while silently hoping a heartless would try it so you could stab it to death and let your emotions out on something. The sounds of leather boots against the pavement picked up behind you as you made your way towards the first district. You could almost feel the hilt of your keyblade in your hand but kept it at bay, having no reason to believe it wasn't just a civilian. that is, of course, until the footsteps picked up and you could see a large shadow creeping up behind you. At that point, you turned- your keyblade connecting with something solid...and extremely close.

  
Stunned, you looked up from where your point of desired entry was and saw a mop of neon red soft spikes instead of the dark antennae you were positive were there. Your expression went from panic to glee in an instant, dropping your weapon and letting the blunt end tumble from Axel's palms. "Axel!" you gasped, wasting no time in pulling him into a side alley and resting the side of your face into his chest. Your firebreather's skin radiated heat, and the scent of burned sandalwood that constantly enveloped him felt like home. After a moment, you felt a gloved hand at the back of your head, rustling your hair while his head came to rest on top of yours.

  
"Whoa, MC. Is that how you treat all your enemies? Humor me and say no so I feel special." The suede-like fabric of his glove caught on your hairs, tugging on them slightly as he cradled your head to his chest. You ignored his comment for a moment, zoning in on the slight thump inside his chest. Was that the weak patter of a heart, or just wishful thinking for his sake? After focusing in on that long enough, you pulled back enough so he could see your eyes roll.

  
"Only the especially evil ones," you tease back, finally detaching yourself from the living flame thrower.

  
"I'd hate to see what you do when Xemnas sneaks up behind you," he threw back at you, a devillish smirk playing against his sharp features.

  
"what brings you around here, anyway?" you ask, ignoring his previous comment. "And so...formal, too," you continued, noting his full Organization getup.

  
"Can't a heartless fool come see his little lady after a long day at work without question?" Taking note of your suspiciousness, Axel unzipped his cloak and let it fall to the ground, his gloves following quickly. Now, dressed in reasonable attire to walk around town (a tee and black jeans), he took your hand in his, lacing your fingers together as he led you from the alley and back into public sight. "Lead the way."

  
"It's just been a minute, I was started to worry that they really did turn you into a dusk." You shot him a wink, nudging your shoulder into his arm playfully. "How was your Halloween?" You wanted to discuss the fact that you missed him without seeming overbearing, or too desperate. This was a good step. Axel straightened up slightly, slowly inhaling largely before whistling the air back out.

  
"It was nice. The sun set red that night." Ah, right. You remembered. It had been stunning. Not just red- but orange, pink, and purple, too.

  
"Red's my favorite color," you commented, reaching your free hand up to tousle his hair.

  
"Is that so?" A coy look was slowly turning to face you.

  
"Mhm, some people even say red is the last color you see. All the prettiest things are red. Apples, blood, cranberries, Christmas lights, and you, of course."

  
"Apples, blood, and cranberries, huh? Sounds like a very (y/n) list to be included in, huh?" His lips were pressed to yours in a matter of moments after he spoke, spreading warmth throughout your body. You leaned closer, savoring the moment. All too soon, you parted a few millimeters.

  
"I missed you," you admitted, not super keen on giving him something to hold over your head.

  
"I'm sorry I missed our unofficial date," Axel said, looking deep into your eyes. He couldn't tell you exactly that he missed you, loved you, or was sad to be without you, because-well, because, he wasn't supposed to have emotions. Not in some corny, macho-man kind of way, but because he genuinely shouldn't be experiencing emotion without a heart. Which was fine. You understood completely- it just made showing emotion that much harder on your part.

  
"How are you gonna make it up to me?" you teased, fully expecting to feel the softness of Axel's lips on yours once more at any moment. Unbeknownst to you, Axel had a hand pressed up against the wall behind him and was slowly but surely creating a corridor of darkness behind you.

  
"I have one idea, actually," he whispered in your ear before falling into the darkness with you. You shrieked for a moment before bracing yourself and stumbling forward.

  
"Dammit, Axel! How many times do I have to tell you how much I hate these things?!" You glanced around in the darkness, completely blind as to where your partner could be. You could already feel the tremors starting from the lack of light creating any warmth in the endless tunnel. You almost ripped the bare hand that touched you right off of the offender before you felt the pure heat radiating from the skin.

  
"Alright, you big baby, we can go now." Your eyes adjusted to the darkness just enough to see the general shape of tall spikes pulling you out of the corridor. When you stepped out completely, you had to shut your eyes tight to protect them from the immense amount of twinkling lights completely stunning you.

  
"Where are we?" you asked, rubbing at your eyes.

  
"A Very Merry Christmas Party, got it memorized?"

  
"I-in November?" you mumbled, slowly opening your eyes. Sure enough, there in front of you was an entire Christmas wonderland. Complete with ornaments, trees, snowmen, and ice coating everything in sight- the castle at the end of Main Street especially done-up. "Oh my God, it's really Christmas," you mumbled, finally landing your eyes on your smirking boyfriend, now wearing a sweater to keep warm.

  
"I was gonna take you the day after Halloween. Imagine my surprise when I get here and it's like Halloween was six months ago."

  
"Oh, Axel," you smiled, walking forward to wrap an arm around his middle so you could both watch the lights together. "It's so pretty." Axel looked down at you. If he were any kind of sappy, he'd tell you you were prettier. But he wasn't.

  
"You're such a nerd," he chuckled, kissing the top of your head.

  
"A cold nerd." You rolled your eyes, elbowing his side. "You couldn't have brought me a sweater too, asshole?"

  
"Let's go get you one." You were whisked into a store, but not before looking into the distance like there was a camera right there. Oh, he got it like that? Okay. You were surrounded by long sleeved cozy shirts called spirit jerseys, the Disneyland logo blasted across each of them. You finally settled on one that was completely back with sequins over the letters. It was warm, cozy, and looked pretty nice on you. You were about to go show Axel when something else caught your eye. A headband with a festive bow, and two black puffs on either side of it.

  
"Are these supposed to look like Queen Minnie?" you asked, reaching out to touch them.

  
"They call them 'ears', so I think so," Axel explained, placing them on your head. "Do you want them?"

  
"How do you have this much munny?" you questioned, shooting him a confused look.

  
"It's...borrowed, in a way. Don't say Sora never did anything for you." Axel plucked the ears from your head and grabbed the jersey from your hands, walking towards the register. You laughed, looking after your favorite dork as he left. Your night was full of festivities including but not limited to: good food, rides, photos, parades, and another pesky mistletoe popping up out of nowhere. It was towards the end of the night, the fireworks popping and soaring through the nights sky when you both finally relaxed.

  
You glanced at Axel from your place beside him on the wooden bench with green railings. "Hey, I love you." It was an announcement. Nothing you were expecting to hear back, no obligation. You were so full of love for your fire tamer that you couldn't help but express it. Axel-taken off guard-looked to you, expression completely missing from his face. He slowly started smiling, a warmth to his eyes as he took you in.

  
"You know nobodies can't feel anything."

  
"I kn-"

  
"I think I love you too, regardless."

  
The smile on your face couldn't be stopped as your heart began pounding. You yanked him down firmly, demanding a kiss. A long and full of love kiss for you. not for the mistletoe, not for the cameraman, just for you. He thought he loved you, and that was the best present anyone could wish for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora: I.....lost...my wallet...  
> Kairi: AGAIN?!  
> Riku: HOW MANY TIMES DOES THIS NEED TO HAPPEN TO YOU?!


End file.
